Mother and Daughter
by Moment For Life
Summary: Jack and Rose with their children after Titanic. Also little bonding with Rose and Ruth.


**I have a feeling this maybe actually be absolute crap but I just wrote it in the mood. I had watched Titanic and felt a bit blue from the whole Jack dying things and wanted to cheer myself up so I apologise for the sloppy writing but I do hope it makes you smile, whatever you are doing today.**

''I've got a feeling this one is different.'' Rose ran a delicate finger down her tummy, enticing her unborn child to kick. Her hips hurt, her feet were swollen and her body ached like none of her other pregnancies.

''How so?'' Ruth eyed her daughter.

''I don't know. I just feel it.''

Ruth buttered her toast at the breakfast table. ''Perhaps because Jack simply cannot keep his hands off you. Honestly, rabbits breed less. Do you not have anything better to do than procreate?''

Her mother's sharp tongue was lost on her. She was used to the bite. Jack entered at that precise moment. ''Morning Ruth.'' He kissed Rose quickly as he touched her stomach. ''Still sharp as a tack even at 7am.''

''Jack, I speak the truth. You and my daughter have children like rabbits.''

''Can we have a rabbit?'' Four year old George entered the kitchen with toothpaste around his mouth and dressed for school in a fashion. Immediately, Jack wiped his mouth and straightened his collar.

''We have Jessie already.'' Jack referred to their six year old Labrador who had taken refuge beneath the table awaiting scraps of toast and spilled milk.

''But I want a rabbit.'' George's eyes sparkled, they were the same blue as his father's but his mother's coppery curls and fiery nature ensured he was a handful.

''Oh Heavens.'' Ruth sighed pouring herself a cup of tea.

''Nanny will help me look after it.'' He glanced to his grandmother, his eyes wide and innocent. Ruth gave a sharp sideways glance. Rose laughed at the notion of her mother clearing out a rabbit.

''Well maybe if Nanny helps then we will have to get you, Flynn and Ellie a rabbit.''

Flynn and Ellie were George's siblings. They were seven and two respectively. At that moment Flynn came in the back door.

''I got more milk.'' He proudly waved the glass bottle. ''Mr. Harper said not to worry about the money until next week.''

Mr. Harper was the nearby shopkeeper just two doors away, he was also good friends with the Dawson's and great at keeping the kids entertained on the weekends with his horse and endless jobs from milking the cows to feeding the chickens.

''That's a good boy now take George to find his coat.'' Rose ordered. Jack took a sip from Rose's weak tea and distorted his face.

''That is disgusting.'' He had forgotten just how milky his wife's tea was taken.

''Jack, you have the manners of a donkey.'' She shook her head at her son-in-law.

Jack did nothing but laugh. What else could he do? He had to admit that underneath the vile exterior of Ruth she did actually care for her daughter, in a fashion. She was also good with the grandchildren, introducing discipline when needed perhaps more than he and Rose could do. Of course, their family was big and would continue to grow for as long as they could. Jack and Rose discussed a large family and they had kept their promise to each other.

''Oh Mother, stop it.'' She wafted her hand at her mother.

''Come on kids, time for school.'' Jack shouted into the living room as he found his own coat and the boys came flying in. Jessie, the dog came scurrying from under the table almost knocking George from his feet, the excitement had gotten to her and she began chasing her own tail around Jack.

''So I guess you're coming too huh?'' He laughed as he found Jessie's lead and struggled to put it around her neck due to her thrashing with excitement. Ruth raised her eyebrows. She had never been fond of dogs; Jessie was too excited for her liking.

A giggle from upstairs made Rose aware than Ellie was awake upstairs.

''I'll see you in an hour.'' Jack winked at Rose. The boys kissed their mother goodbye and George kissed his mother's stomach as he did each morning and night.

The door closed and Rose took a deep breath. ''Ellie is awake.'' She glanced at the clock. ''She needed that 11 hour sleep, I think the cough has taken it out of her.'' She was just about to stand when Ruth settled her hands on her daughters shoulder and sat her down.

''I will fetch her.''

Rose said nothing as her mother started towards the stairs to fetch her granddaughter. She took a sip of her tea before remembering it was cold. She topped it up with the teapot which was on the table and took a bite of toast quickly. Mornings were always chaotic. As was bath times and mealtimes. Rose smiled, she remembered when Flynn was born and they thought parenthood was easy-they were mistaken but it was the most rewarding thing.

Each of their children had steadily become their own little character with flecks of both Jack and Rose in them. They were headstrong, proud children and she loved each of them dearly. This fourth one would even it out. Flynn and George would play together and while they loved Ellie and were very protective of her-they were also bored when they realised she wouldn't play football with them. Not well anyway.

Ellie was wide awake in her grandmother's arms. She had noticed her mother had softened when Ellie had been born-perhaps because she was the little girl. The less boisterous one. She had moments with the boys but Ellie seemed to have taken her heart fully.

''Good morning.''Rose smiled as Ellie was placed in her high chair. Rose watched as Ruth expertly tied the knot so she didn't fall from the chair. She knew that she wasn't like this with her when she was a child. It was as though a switch had flipped and even though she wasn't a great mother to Rose growing up, she was making up for it now.

''Porridge.'' Ellie waved a spoon around as Rose flattened her unruly curls from her sleepy head.

''Yes darling, I will make you some porridge.'' Ruth got to work by searching the cupboards for some oats.

''You know I could get used to the help.'' Rose joked as she sat back with her hand on her stomach.

Ruth stopped in her tracks, eyeing Rose. ''Well don't get used to it. I only help when I am needed.'' She sighed. ''Just where are the oats?''

''Top cupboard.'' Rose pointed. Ruth found them simple enough as she found a pan to boil some milk.

''Soon you will need a bigger kitchen. Definitely a bigger table.''

Rose glanced around. She hated to admit it but her mother was right. ''We will find the time to move into someplace bigger I hope once this little one is here.''

Ruth stopped for a moment, she watched her daughter. ''Just what possesses you to have four children? Rose, you are just twenty six. You have years left in you for child bearing.''

Rose took another sip from her tea. ''Jack and I like the children close together in age. Besides, we both come from parents who were an only child and so were we.'' She pressed her lips together and narrowed her eyes.

Ruth was always one to avoid conversations which were too revealing of her own past. But now, Rose thought would be a good time to press the matter. ''Why did you not have more children?''

Ruth kept her eye on the boiling milk. ''I was sensible!'' She cried. ''Besides I enjoyed my figure.''

''Nonsense! I have a waist and I have borne three children!'' She placed her hand on her hips. She glanced down. She couldn't remember the last time she had seen her trim waist.

Ruth wasn't one to speak of the past, nor of her husband. She found herself absentmindedly stirring the porridge. ''I never felt maternal.'' She confessed. ''Rose when you were born I had chosen your name and you were taken from me. I lost the chance to raise my only daughter and I struggled to bond.''

Rose attempted to stand from the chair where she had sat for too long. ''Mother but why?''

''My own mother ensured you were raised well. We all doted on you as a child but I found it hard to believe you were mine. I could never feed you, hold you as you slept. That fell onto the job of the nurse. Your father drank early on...''

Ruth looked at her daughters face and saw the maturity; she was now a mother and a wife.

''I want to tell you just how proud I am of you Rose.'' Ruth held her daughters hands in her own.

Ruth felt something niggling at her, something which she had been feeling for quite a while and wondered whether or not she should share it with her daughter. Rose saw the look on her mother's face and knew something wasn't quite right.

'Mother…?'

Ruth glanced her daughter straight in the eye, tears obvious in them.

Rose thought she was hearing things. She thought that her mother never even loved her father. ''Your father was so carefree and easy, I could wrap him around my little finger when we married. We were so in love and I see the way you and Jack look at each other now and remember your father in so many ways.''

Rose felt tears coming down her face, she knew none of this. Memories of her father's death were still fresh in her mind even though he had died in December of 1910. ''Oh mother, I didn't even know you were in love with my father.''

''Oh of course I was, I just never learned how to show it after I gave birth to you.'' Ruth sighed. ''Rose you were conceived when I was just seventeen years old, I wasn't even married.''

''I thought that…'' Rose trailed off confused, having never knowing anything like this in her life.

''Your father had proposed to me, and in one of the three times that we were….'' Ruth thought of a polite way to put it, even though she knew her daughter was now a woman herself. ''…together, in a physical way, you were conceived. I found out four days before I married so it was easy to cover.''

Rose felt as though her and Ruth had bonded so much more in the time she had told her the things she never knew. ''When you were growing up I just wanted the best for you Rose and for a time I failed you, I pushed you into things you never wanted.''

Rose felt her tears coming quickly. ''No mother, you didn't fail me. You did what you did out of love for me, you wanted the best, you thought you were doing the right thing it just turns out you wasn't. I knew from the moment I met Jack what I wanted and I have it right now and we have children.''

Ellie was oblivious to the moment of closeness between Mother and daughter at that moment in time. ''Children are precious.''

Rose closed her eyes as Ruth touched her face. She had never felt such affection from her mother. ''Yes they are.''

''Your father would have loved the boys.'' She commented. ''I do wish things had been different with him, Rose.''

''Mother, he was selfish but he was still my father.''

Ruth took the porridge from the stove and poured it into a bowl for Ellie. She waited a minute for it to cool.

''When he died I had nothing to focus on except my young daughter, I wanted a bright future for her and for myself. My focus became finding you a great husband.''

''I met Jack because of everything which happened leading up to this moment. I can never blame you for wanting the best for me. Just as I do my children.''

Ruth passed the porridge to Rose. ''I take pride in my daughter and my grandchildren.'' She smiled at Rose. She felt the bond between them strengthen. ''But I honestly don't know how you will cope with so many children.''

And just like that, old Ruth returned.

The next day, another daughter was born and the truth was, Jack and Rose didn't stop there despite Ruth's opinion another three children came over the next six years.


End file.
